Are You Prepared For Black Friday?

Black Friday is famous for its deals, its hype and its controversies. Who’s open, who’s closed, who’s deals are amazing and who’s deals are bullsh**!

Most retailers do offer their biggest no-holds-barred discounts of the year. According to the National Retail Federation, 87 million shoppers participated in Black Friday last year. Yikes – that is almost twice as many turkeys as were consumed (46 million). This year will be no different. The stores know there are huge sales numbers to be had on Friday, Nov. 27th and they are willing to slash prices to make sure shoppers are busting down their doors instead of their competitors’.

Even if you prefer to boycott the madness and think you don’t need one more damn thing in your closet, chances are you do. So let’s get to it with purpose so you don’t miss the opportunity to buy some new spongy pink rollers at 99% off.

Here are some tips & tricks to carry you through Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Plan the Products ~ As much as you might want to add that fabulous new bit of frosting to your wardrobe, first make sure the cake is ready! Check your bras, your hosiery, your black pants and skirts, your winter coats, boots and even socks. My point is to make sure you have the essentials in your wardrobe covered. The essentials are on sale too you know! Everyone restocks the basic household items when they go on sale – don’t forget to restock your wardrobe basics too!

Plan the Mall ~ Don’t just plan which mall – plan the floor plan of that mall! Wasted steps are wasted time and energy. Go to the mall’s website. Download the map, and the directory. Ever try to find the directory once inside the mall? Most malls now have volumes of additional kiosk vendors hucking games, candles and skin lotion, but try and find the directory???

Plan the Parking Space ~ Park with purpose! Maybe plan two trips to the car. Or park and then walk to the furthest destination so that all of your steps are heading back to the car.

Plan the VIP Discounts ~ Check to see if you can sign up as a VIP on the Mall website. VIP status usually means you are signing up for their emails, you can always unsubscribe later, but be sure to take advantage of the first shot of goodies! They may include a coupon book with discounts to many stores as well as first day specials for the new VIP! Then check out the website before you leave as the stores post the daily and weekly deals right on the mall page offering both printable coupons as well as the option of scanning your phone once inside the store. If you don’t do all of these things you are leaving money on the table! Check out all of this info on the VIP signup to Wrentham Village in Wrentham, MA. Home page, note the VIP Club in the top right hand corner. Look at all of the benefits!

Plan the Price ~ Just because it’s on sale, doesn’t mean it’s on sale – what? Are you really aware of the regular price? Was that high ticket item really EVER sold at that high ticket price? Be a savvy shopper. If you are really planning on shopping on Black Friday, then you should already know what you are looking for and what you should pay. Do your homework – google the item itself, open the top five links and check the price at different retailers! Your best price might be online, so why get in the car?

Plan the Savings ~ Shop early! Seriously the Christmas decorations are in the stores in October, do you really think those deep discounts are only on Black Friday? Most stores have marked things down 48 to 72 hours before the stores even open on Friday, even if it a 4am opening. So shop your favorite stores online in advance. Here’s a super secret tip – put your items in your shopping cart and leave them there. Monitor them daily to see if they have been marked down. If you are on the store mailing list in advance, chances are very high that they will not bump your stuff out of your cart. Just be sure to log in before shopping away. Check back on your cart often – it’s kind of like playing the slot machines, every time you pull the handle the price just might change! Just be careful because they might sell out of that ever-so-special Kim Kardashian butt booster!

Doreen Dove empowers women to use style as a tool to take strategic control of their image. She is an image consultant, personal stylist, professional speaker and author.
Doreen coaches women to live fully engaged with confidence, knowing they are communicating the best version of themselves to further their personal and professional goals. Her services include closet edits, personal shopping, virtual styling, small group workshops, corporate and keynote presentations.
Engage with Doreen on a complimentary 30-minute call to determine how she can help you 'dress with purpose'!
www.DoreenDove.com/freeconsult